Small Bump
by justsomeone2010
Summary: Jane and Darcy get to the bottom of Jane's recent illness, with life changing results for her and Thor. Inspired by Ed Sheeran's Small Bump.
1. Test

Jane stared down at the cardboard box full of pregnancy tests and her jaw went slack.

"Oh my God, Darcy," she finally choked out. "I asked you to get _one_, not _one whole stores worth_!"

Darcy wondered round from behind her friend, perching down on the bed beside her generous purchase. She not to be weirded out by the thought that the reason the box full even existed in the first place was because of certain – hem – _activities_ that had occurred in said bed behind her. She folded her arms over her chest protectively. "Three stores worth actually."

Jane shot her a wild eyed look.

"I wanted to be sure okay!" Darcy protested, bearing her palms defensively.

Rolling her eyes, Jane sighed. _Well_, she thought, she _was_ a scientist. And wasn't repetition key when performing a science experiment? If the box couldn't give her a reliable, conclusive result she didn't know what would.

Reluctantly, she plucked a test from the masses and held it gingerly. "Fine." She eventually said, eyeing the little box in her hand warily "… I guess."

She still couldn't believe Darcy had filled the cardboard box to the brim; she'd given her the box as a means of concealment more than anything else. If – God forbid! – Darcy had run into Thor, she could use the 'I'm bringing more lab equipment' excuse. Thor may be fascinated by Jane's research but the technology she used still confused him to the brink of madness. Thor wouldn't be able to get away from the box fast enough, and Darcy's path would be clear.

The only real issue was Heimdall: Darcy could lie through her teeth to the gatekeeper if she wanted to but that still wouldn't stop him from being able to see what she was _really _doing once she was on Earth. Thankfully, Jane knew he would only tell if Thor asked him directly.

Then she'd be screwed.

For now though, the plan had worked and the box was safely in Thor and Jane's bedroom, while Jane rallied herself up.

They'd been in Asgard for little over a month. Thor had brought her back to meet the parents and after she'd arrived, Jane decided she liked it way better here than being pestered by S.H.I.E.L.D back on Earth. Erik hadn't seen it the same way. He refused to even come in the first place. Darcy, on the other hand, had been more than keen, treating Thor's home realm like her personal summer retreat. That was, at least, what her glowing tan from bathing under the glorious Asgardian sun suggested.

"How much did all this _cost_?" Jane frowned down at the box in her hand, finger flicking at the fifteen dollar price sticker.

Darcy shifted uncomfortably on the beds edge. "Let's just say Erik could have bought an iPod and a new laptop for the money I spent on those."

Jane's jaw dropped. "You used _Erik's_ credit card?"

"Well, you're like his adopted daughter anyway!" Darcy's lips pursed. "It's the least he could do after not coming to meet your future in-laws."

The test dropped numbly back into the box as Jane buried her face in her hands, groaning. "He's gonna kill me! Not just how much you spent but when he finds out what it's _for_ …" her wide eyes peeked out from behind her fingertips. "Thor is so dead."

"Don't you mean you are so dead?"

"No," Jane dropped her hands to her sides again, staring at Darcy hard. "_Thor_ is so dead."

Darcy shifted awkwardly on the bed again, averting her eyes elsewhere around the grand bedroom as she realised just what Jane meant. _Even more reason to just stay in Asgard_, she thought starkly in her head. "Sorry if I just unmanned your boyfriend." She eventually coughed into her hand. Her eyes swivelled round to Jane again. "But we don't even know if Thor needs to worry yet! Hurry up – I'm not good with waiting!"

Jane bit back a remark (settling with a glare) and gathered up the box, groaning slightly under its weight. She shuffled to the bathroom with her stomach in knots.

XXX

Two hours later, Darcy was flat out on the bed examining every inch of the intricate white ceiling. She was getting bored. No, scratch that; she'd been getting bored over an hour and a half ago. Now, she was brain dead comatose.

"Are you done yet?" she called out.

She was fully prepared for another 'No!' or 'In a minute!' or even a 'You bought so many, give me a goddamn chance to get through them!' as had been hurled back at her over the last hour or so. She'd been keeping a mental tally as to which snap seemed to Jane's favourite. What she didn't bet on (and had zero points on the score board) was silence. Darcy jerked herself upright on the bed, frowning at the bathroom door nervously as that was exactly what she got.

"Jane?"

Silence.

Darcy slipped off the edge of the bed and crept to the bathroom, picking over stray books and clothes that lay discarded on the floor. Yeah, she'd been bored. So she'd had a little leaf through the bedroom to try and amuse herself. The _ceiling_ had been more interesting than the science books and jeans Jane possessed!

She pressed her ear up near the door to try and hear something, whether it be a sob or a trickle to indicate Jane was in the middle of another test. It was neither.

Again – stark silence.

She was starting to get anxious. "Jane, are you okay?"

The light click of the door unlocking answered her and Darcy stepped back. Jane looked pale as she stepped out, moving with almost robotic steps. _What did that mean?, _Darcy half screamed in her head. _Shocked or disappointed?_ She watched round eyed as Jane wondered out and flopped on her back over the bed, her mouth hanging open slightly. She threw her arms over her head.

Darcy kept her hand on the door handle, trying to fight the urge to peek inside the bathroom. "Well?" she gulped. The suspense was killing her! "What's the result?"

A "Go see for yourself." stifled from between Jane's arms and Darcy didn't need telling twice, darting through the door into the bathroom, eyes finding the box on the floor beside the sink instantly. She kicked her way through the cascade of small package boxes to get to the bulk. Her eyes were wide behind her glasses as she peered over the cardboard edges, tensing herself as if it were her future she was leaning in to find out. Her vision was attacked instantly with bright, angry red plusses and double lines gleaming out from the lumps of plastic.

"Holy shit!"

XXX

"You're not allowed to tell him."

Darcy nodded obediently, eyes gleaming like a little puppy dog. Jane had her perched back on the edge of the bed, pinning her down lightly with hands on her friend's thighs. Surprisingly, Darcy did as she was told, a little smile pressed into her lips. Jane was still a shade closer to white than her complexion normally was but she'd been jolted back to her senses at Darcy's cursing.

"You're not allowed to tell _anyone_." She spelled out carefully to the younger woman. "Understand? This is our little secret. Thor can't find out about this until I decide to tell him."

That was going to be a feat in itself, Jane thought to herself. How the hell was she going to tell Thor that she was pregnant with his child? He already had his suspicion that something was wrong with her – he'd been just as concerned with her bouts of recent sickness as she had. But Jane had her skipped period to point her in the right direction of what was wrong with her, rather than Thor simply leaping to the conclusion that she was ill. Her hand rolled over her stomach, which was still mercifully flat. She prayed it would stay that way long enough for her to tell Thor for himself.

She pushed out a breath through gritted teeth, eyes over Darcy's shoulder as she thought. She missed the mischievous glint in her friends gaze.

Jane fell face forward into the bed as Darcy abruptly jerked free, cackling as she raced for the door. Panic flooding through her system, Jane twisted and reached for her but missed, scrambling up from the bed to hunt her down. _Damn, Darcy was fast,_ she thought with wide eyes as she skidded out the door.

Laughter drew her attention down the right side of the corridor.

"DARCY!"

Jane howled after her friend as she flew after her, not caring about the mad stares from guards and servants she received as she went. She just had to get Darcy. That had been an amateur move, letting her guard down like that. She should have known better than to relax around Darcy when she was fuelled with this sort of gossip.

_God, what if she told someone?,_ Jane thought with dread running icily through her system. _What if she bumped into Thor's parents? Or Thor himself!_

Jane felt her stomach drop to the floor at the prospect and forced herself to move faster. She had to catch her. She threw herself round a corner, just yards behind her friend. Her nerves went into overdrive for every second Darcy was out of her sight. Jane gritted her teeth and reached out, Darcy's shirt tantalisingly close to her fingertips.

Darcy swerved round a corner before Jane could get a grip. Jane tore forward to go after her – when Darcy bounced back and crashed into Jane's side, sending both women sprawling back into the wall behind. A strangled sound somewhere between a grunt and a groan escaped Jane's lips as her back thudded hard into the wall and her friend crushed hard into her front. Her body slumped numbly as she slid to the floor, no strength whatsoever to resist in her winded, stunned state. Darcy didn't seem much better; she slipped to the floor simultaneously, body draping over Jane's knees as her friend leaned against the wall.

_What the hell had Darcy hit that bounced back like that?,_ Jane gasped in her head, eyes rolling up to the ceiling as she waited for the world to still. She must have hit her head on the wall, she reasoned.

Her question was answered almost instantly as her walking wall of muscle of a boyfriend stepped out from around the corner, brow furrowed in adorable concern. He was at her side in a few long strides, kneeling as his large hand cupped her cheek, guiding her eyes to his. "Jane, are you hurt?"

Jane struggled to stop her eyes rolling in her sockets. She shifted her knee – earning a groan from the weakly struggling Darcy.

"No." she sighed, gritting her teeth as she tried to peel herself from the wall. "Just – ow!" Thor offered a helping hand and she took it gratefully. "Just bruised."

She let Thor pull her upright and leaned almost instantly back against the wall. She released his hand as he crouched down again to help Darcy next. Suddenly, her hands shot out. "No!" she half screamed, wide eyes shooting down to the pair, Thor's hand held out waiting to her friend. His gaze frowned at her deeply, utterly bemused. Jane cleared her throat awkwardly. "She, er," her mind searched frantically for something believable, but was quickly distracted by the flash of Darcy's wicked grin. Jane's eyes narrowed, her panicked voice hardening. "She's fine."

Thor straightened up - pulling Darcy with him - and frowned at Jane. She ignored him for a moment as she grabbed at her friend's collar, tugging her to her side before she could run off again.

"Jane, is everything alright?" Thor asked in a deep rumbling voice made Jane go weak at the knees. His piercing blue gaze felt like he could see right through her. "Why were you running with such a speed through the palace halls?"

"She -oomph!"

Jane stuffed her hand over Darcy's mouth before the young woman could betray her, ignoring the way she clawed at Jane's fingers. Jane fought hard to keep Darcy in place, mortally fearing the consequences if she didn't. She locked her eyes on Thor, knowing hers were probably a touch rounder than they should have been. He was frowning. Jane's heart sank; he definitely knew something was wrong.

"Um…" She searched for an excuse, but it was impossible. Darcy's frantic struggling was getting hard to contain. She had to do something fast, else Thor would know her little secret whether she wanted him to or not.

Every instinct in her body was telling her to run, but the though had barely crossed her mind before she dismissed it. Running – what would that do? Thor would catch her within two steps, with his unnatural reflexes and god-like speed, and all she would have done would be to raise his alarm level to dangerous heights. She felt trapped.

But every instinct in her _gut_ was telling her to spill. To tell the truth. To just get it over with before someone else – specifically the woman who was trying to manoeuvre her teeth into Jane's fingers to bite her away – beat her to it.

Her heart pounded as she found herself siding with her gut's set of reasoning.

Jane took a deep breath, calming her wide eyes as much as possible until they glittered up at her god of a boyfriend. "We need to talk." She said as slow and clearly as she could, as much for the sake of her own flittering nerves as much as Thor's. "I've got some news."


	2. Breaking The News

Jane stood in the corner of the bedroom, arms wrapped around her impregnated body while she gnawed nervously at her thumb. She hadn't told Thor anything yet. She'd simply led him back into their bedroom - leaving Darcy safely behind - and propped the box from the bathroom to the bed's edge, standing back anxiously to watch his reaction.

She couldn't take her eyes off of Thor as he reached into the box and picked up one of the many used tests. Any other time Jane would have found his furrowed brow and confused eyes absolutely adorable, that innocent little lost puppy dog look was one of her favourite expressions on him. But it was what always followed that set her on edge: the seriousness tinted into his eyes as his confusion ignited his proud temper, and it usually took mere seconds for the source of Thor's puzzlement to be reduced to dust.

She had every faith that Thor wouldn't hurt her... but that was just about the only thing she _was_ certain of. She didn't know how he'd react. Would he be angry? Happy? Scared? Would he feel the need to beat something up? Would he shout? The next few moments were completely unpredictable for Jane, totally out of her control - something she absolutely _loathed!_

Finally, his lost blue eyes rose from the double pink lines on the plastic. Even from across the room his gaze was piercing.

"What is this?" he asked quietly.

Something inside Jane trembled at his low tone. His eyes glimmered with intensity and her heart hammered; he knew this wasn't simply some Earth device he couldn't master. He knew this was serious. _Oh God_, she cursed in her head. Maybe she should have let Darcy break the news after all. God only knew she wouldn't be frozen by the same fear that clutched Jane at that moment, words dying in her open mouth.

When Jane said nothing, panic flooding through her system as the confession drew inevitably nearer, Thor went on. He stepped closer to her. "What do these symbols mean?"

Jane clamped her gaping jaw shut and closed her eyes in a lingering blink. Those few seconds of calm darkness was all she needed, biting down especially hard on her skin before she opened her eyes again. Her emboldened brown gaze met Thor's and she lowered her chewed hand to hug her still nervously fluttering stomach.

"It's a ..." she gulped, the word sticking in her throat. When had her mouth gotten so dry? "A pregnancy test." She finally squeaked.

The small notch of courage she'd built up vanished the instant Thor's bright blue eyes widened, though the thoughts behind them were unreadable. She breathed in a shuddering breath, the blood pounding in her ears thunderously.

"Remember I've been sick lately?" she went on, angling her eyes to a slightly less intimidating spot on the far ceiling. She could feel Thor's gaze stay locked on her. "Well, women can get a thing called morning sickness, and it can be a sign of ..." Her teeth dug briefly into her lip. "Of pregnancy. Coupled with that and my missed period, me and Darcy got some tests to find out for sure."

Her gaze flickered lower to check for any hint of a reaction from Thor so far, but nothing had changed from before: intense blue eyes, furrowed brow, lips slightly parted as he drank in the information - only he was a couple of paces closer than Jane remembered him to be. _When had he moved?,_ she wondered. She hadn't noticed it. The whole reason she'd retreated to this corner was to put a safe distance between her and Thor when she eventually spilled the news. The very words were hard to even think. Every time_ pregnancy_ or_ baby_ flittered through her mind, she felt the strength in her knees compromise slightly.

"You required this number of devices to determine the result?" Thor asked, taking yet another advancing step, test still his hand.

"Only one. But Darcy went a bit overboard." Her lips flickered apologetically in the corners, but Thor's face remained rigid. He was so close now she could easily make out every glimmer and shine in his crystal blue orbs, gleaming with more than just confusion, she realised.

It was more...eager. Anticipation? Hope, even?

Her heart fluttered in her chest as the test in Thor's hand cluttered lightly to the floor and he closed the gap between them, occupying his large hands either side of her face instead. She breathed in his sweet breath as it left his mouth.

"What does the red mean?" he breathed, making Jane's head swoon slightly. He brushed his lips over hers in a feather light touch, drawing her fluttering eyes back to him. "What is the result?"

There was no where else for Jane to look except for at him, and her round glistening orbs scoured over every inch of his face. She offered no resistance as his fingers gently peeled her arms from over her stomach. The warmth of his flattened palm quickly replaced them.

"Jane?" he pressed, his chest swelling with his breath. His voice was definitely not dangerous now: just nervous, just like Jane felt inside.

She fluttered her eyes downward for a moment, before slowly covering his hand with hers. She held him to her abdomen as her gaze hesitantly crept up to his, swallowing the last of her panic with determined resolve. He wouldn't hate her, she told herself calmly. He was just as anxious as she was. _And he needs to know..._

Jane surrendered herself to his wondrous blue eyes, letting them soar her heart to new heights of mindless bliss. She didn't notice herself leaning forward until she caught her hand on his breast-plate.

"Thor." she breathed shakily, her eyes locked on his resolutely. "I'm pregnant."

It was like time froze for a second. Jane's eyes widened slightly in apprehension as she watched her boyfriends reaction: or rather, the lack of it. Thor stayed motionless as if he were a statue, that same bright spark in his eye, the same nervous parting of his lips hovering in place. It felt like a lifetime of waiting, with nothing to comfort Jane other than the pounding of her own heart.

Then all at once, Thor's face simply bloomed.

"Ha!" he let out a boom of triumph as his arms closed around her body, picking her up clean off the ground and spinning her in tight circles.

Jane flung her arms around his neck to anchor her in place, clinging to him, feeling his proud laughter rumble through his chest against her slight body. A relieved - albeit, dizzy - grin settled on her lips; he wasn't mad. Not even a little bit! He was ... _wow_, Jane gasped in her head, _were there even words to describe this? _She tucked her chin over his shoulder, waiting patiently until he set her back on the ground again, basking in her own solace.

Finally, her feet met the floor again and Jane staggered back shakily. Her wavering eyes ghosted over her boyfriend's grin, taking in the impossibly wide smile that graced his perfect features. His eyes twinkled like a child's at Christmas, and her own grin stretched wider at seeing how happy he was.

Then her knees gave out and she fell back onto the bed, sending the box of pregnancy tests scattering.

She didn't care. Nor did Thor. The God of Thunder folded his body over Jane's almost instantly, hands hovering either side of her head as he planted generous, loving kisses over her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead. His mouth eventually found her laughing lips and kissed her hard, his tongue dominating hers without so much as even a struggle. Jane was too happy to want to fight him: her hands pressed into his back, holding him to her in a way that made her senses sing.

Jane was gasping as he released her for air, but it didn't stop her grin. "You're happy?" she giggled as Thor moved to trail kisses down her neck. "You don't mind?"

"Happy?" Thor laughed against her skin, pausing to focus his kisses on the side of her neck. "Jane," Suddenly his face was level with hers again, his hot breath washing over her lips. His glittering eyes simply melted her heart in her chest. "You have made me the happiest man in all the nine realms! We," his hand found her still flat stomach again, his thumb stroking her skin through her shirt. "We are to have a child together. How can I be anything but happy when the woman I love more than life itself is bearing my child?"

_Thank God_, Jane sighed in her head, fluttering her eyes shut in bliss as she tugged Thor down to her for a soft, tender kiss. That went impossibly well. Almost too-good-to-be-true well. Not a storm cloud in sight.

"At least you don't have to be the one to tell Erik." Jane grinned as Thor pulled away.

"No," he smirked back. "But it_ is_ I that must tell everyone else. All of Asgard will rejoice at this news. My parents and friends will want to celebrate."

"Darcy's probably told half the kingdom already."

"I do not doubt it." Thor murmured, moving his lips over her jaw. "She is unstoppable. But I hope she saves the joy of telling my mother for myself. She will be delighted."

"She won't mind?" Jane tried to keep her breathing level as Thor's trailing lips moved south of her neck, over her collar bone, following the neck line of her shirt. Her hand wove itself in his golden hair, latching him in place. "I mean, it's not like we're married or anything. Is the whole child out of wedlock thing okay here?" The breath caught in her throat as Thor tugged up the hem of her shirt so it bunched at her ribcage. "You're a prince." she sighed. "I don't want to mess things up for you."

Thor's mouth was hot on her bare, exposed stomach. "It matters not." he breathed over her skin. "Marriage may be expected eventually and it is then that the child will become a legitimate heir to the throne of Asgard. But I have no intention of falling in love with another woman, so there is no reason to rush to wed if you would rather wait."

Jane's eyes fluttered shut, her other hand clamping over his at her waist. "I don't care." she confessed breathlessly. Baby or bride, she didn't care which came first. They would both be hers eventually regardless.

She felt him grin against her skin before he pressed his mouth over her bellybutton. "Our child is here?"

"Lower." Jane said through her teeth on her lip, biting back the ticklish giggles his tongue on her sensitive skin ignited. She untangled her hand from his hair to tap at her body between her bellybutton and her pelvis. Thor's mouth moved instantly to lavish her there. "It's not a baby yet. Just a ball of cells."

"But it will be." Thor smiled at the way Jane arched her back from the bed as his thumbs rubbed gentle circles into her hip bones. "And then it will be ours."

Jane's scrambling hands ceased ghosting over his shoulders and her fingers solidified in tucking into the neck of his armour. She used the leverage to haul herself upright, Thor rising to meet her halfway, flattening her body to his with a hand at the small of her back. Their lips were millimetres from each other's but neither made a move to claim the other. They simply sat there, breathing in the essence of each other, eyes fluttered shut as they both envisioned the future and the baby it built around.

Finally Jane moved her hands to cup her boyfriend's face, thumb gently stroking his rough cheek, enticing his eyes open again.

"Thor," she grinned instantly as he blinked up at her through his eyelashes. _God, he was irresistible_, Jane couldn't help but think. It was driven from her mind quickly as her excited squeak took over: "We're going to have a baby."


	3. Risks

Jane gave a low whistle at her calculations.

Beside her, Thor rolled over groggily, draping a tender arm over his woman's waist. "Jane." he half groaned, touching his forehead to Jane's shoulder blades. "You know I don't like you working in bed." He moved lazily to snatch the notebook from her hands but she jerked it away, more awake and alert than him.

"It's not work. Not really." she insisted, snuggling her back against his warm body, holding his arm around her. "I've been trying to work out how pregnant I am."

That perked Thor up: his body shifted instantly as he moved his mouth to kiss her shoulder, hand trailing round to stroke her stomach. "And?" his voice purred in her ear.

"Well, they work it out from my last period." Jane was more sighing than talking at the heat of Thor's mouth trailing up from her shoulder to her neck, her eyes fluttering just as much as her heart. Her stomach gave a little leap of joy. "So that would make me..." she glanced down at her notes as her memory clouded. "In my fourth week. I've been pregnant for a whole month and I didn't even know it!"

Thor's mouth stretched broadly against her skin.

Jane wriggled her hips to roll around in the bed, but Thor's hand tightened over her stomach, keeping her locked firmly in place against his hard chest. "Thor, what are you doing?" she frowned lightly. Why wouldn't he let her turn round?

"You should stay on your left side. Isn't that how a woman should sleep when she is with child?"

A smirk spread wide across Jane's face and she fought the urge to laugh. Small chuckled escaped her lips though. "Are you being serious?" She screwed her eyes shut, trying to snuffle her giggles with her hand. "Thor, that's just an old myth. It's not true. I can sleep in whatever position I like."

Thor's mouth solidified against the back of her neck. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

After a tense moment Thor's hand finally started to slacken around her and Jane took the opportunity to turn before Thor could change his mind. She draped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer as his hold tightened around her waist. His lips attached themselves to her throat feverishly, and Jane wound her fingers in Thor's luscious golden hair, tipped her head back in bliss to give him better access.

Jane smiled as the god lavished her. She'd missed him last night. True to his word there'd been a celebration, Thor's overjoyed parents holding a grand feast with what seemed like half the kingdom invited! Frigga had been almost inseparable from Jane's side, with both her and Odin wearing blossoming smiles that made her heart flood with warmth.

Thor had had his hand glued around Jane's waist while they graciously accepted well wishes and gifts, the whole thing making Jane glow inside. It made it all seem real, even if there wasn't even a trace of a bump yet: they were really going to have a baby together. Jane had leaned into the shoulder of the father of her baby, feeling like extra little bit of her was complete at last. Everything was perfect. Of course, Thor hadn't been at her side for long before his beaming brother and the warriors had steered him away to the barrels of mead, leaving Jane to be fawned over by Frigga and Odin. She'd seen so many smiles last night it'd made her dizzy.

In the back of her mind though, she was conscious that Erik was yet to be told. "I need to get ready to go." she breathed, though her hands clawed needily at Thor's shoulders, counter acting her words.

She'd been sent to rest long before the celebrations were through, but she hadn't been able to sleep much. She'd lain in bed, waiting for when Thor would return to her. By the time he had though, he wasn't up to anything more than sleep. Jane was eager to make up for lost time.

She tugged lightly at her boyfriend through his hair, pulling his mouth up to hers as she hooked her leg up around his waist and rolled her hips suggestively against his.

"No." Thor growled, pulling away. His strong hand grasped at her thigh to hold her still. "I do not wish to harm the child."

Jane groaned in frustration, pouting as Thor peeled her body completely free of his and settling himself right on the other side of the bed, out of Jane's reach. She was easily still in his reach though; his arm stretched across, his thumb stroking her cheek tenderly.

"I've told you it's not a child yet." She pleaded, flattening his hand against her cheek, longing to feel his warmth again. "It won't recognisable as an actual baby for months. And sex won't affect it at all. Really."

Thor leaned forward and pecked a kiss on the tip of her nose. Jane crinkled it lightly. "I do not want to take any chances." The god smiled lovingly, rising up from the bed to press a tender kiss to her cheek. "You are to stay in bed until I return with breakfast."

A smirk tickled Jane's lips as Thor pulled away and began to wonder to the doorway, pulling on various clothes as he went. She propped herself up on her elbows. "You're not too tired from last night?"

Thor paused at the open doorway of their chambers, tugging the last of his shirt down his ripped abdomen. A lopsided grin gleamed at Jane from across the room. "You are bearing my child. It is my duty to devote every ounce of my energy to loving you Jane Foster." Jane could practically feel his urge to return to her side, envisioning his long, graceful strides leading him back to their bed, wrapping her up in his strong arms as he kissed her. His hand tightened at the door as if he was seeing the same thing, and was resisting hard. "Now stay. I will return shortly."

Jane flopped back in the comfortable sheets as he disappeared from the bedroom, splaying her arms out to the sides.

_Wow_, she thought numbly, a dopey smile on her lips. How did she get so lucky? What had she done to deserve a gorgeous, sensitive god of a boyfriend like Thor? And now they were going to have a baby together. The grin blossomed as she imagined them nine months ahead: Thor bouncing a baby on his lap, her favourite of his boyish grins plastered happily on his face. What would they have? A boy? A girl? Jane didn't mind, but she couldn't help but think a boy would be better. Boys became heirs, right? And as a future king, Thor would need heirs.

_Heirs_, her eyes sparkled. _Plural._

For now though, all she saw was a baby. What the bundle of cells in her womb would grow to be: a rosy cheeked, plump baby cradled in her arms with Thor's around her. A family...

She hoped it would look more like Thor, that it would have his bright blue eyes and his honey golden locks in neat little spirals. Then it would be like having two of him. If she thought one version of Thor was incredible, she imagined two would be nothing short of paradise.

The door cracked open and Thor edged in again, carrying a tray that looked strangely fragile in his bulky hands. He kicked the door lightly shut behind him, a proud smile beaming from his face as he strode forward and set the tray down over Jane's lap, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. His hand wound round to the back of her head, thumbing gentle circles into the base of her bedraggled morning hair. "You will be treated like the queen you will some day become. Nothing but the best shall be spared for the mother of my child."

The beam Jane wore was ear to ear as Thor settled himself beside her, winding a warm arm around her waist. Finally, Jane peeled her gaze away from Thor's glittering orbs down to the meal he'd brought her.

Her jaw dropped. "Thor! I can't eat all this!"

The tray was full to the brim, with all manner of foods adorning every inch. It was like a miniaturised version of the feast from last night, all crammed onto one tray! Jane wouldn't even know where to start...

Thor's smile didn't falter. "You are with child now. You must eat enough to keep you both strong."

Jane tipped her head back against the headboard, biting back a groan of frustration. "Thor..." God, where did she even begin? "I'm not going to say it again. It's just cells now. And I don't know where you keep getting these myths but I don't need to eat anything extra. Not until the baby's more developed at least and even then..." She trailed off, giving up and running her hands through her hair. How many more superstitions did Thor have woven into his culture? "Never mind," she eventually sighed, letting her hair fall back into place through her fingers. "I'm just going to get ready."

She shifted the tray from her lap to Thor's and made to slip from the bed, eyes flickering eagerly to the bathroom. Thor's hand gently cupped her cheek though and stopped her, guiding her face back to him. Her stomach knotted nervously as she read the gleam in his eye.

"What?" she asked, heart thudding. That look ... it was_ sad_. "What is it?"

Thor's hand settled on her face, thumb stroking her skin adoringly as he leaned forward and kissed her spare cheek. It did nothing to ease Jane's frown. "I do not want to take any chances." He murmured softly as he pulled away. A smile crossed his lips and Jane frowned - why did it look so apologetic? Her hand rose to her cheek and stiffened over his_. Please_, she begged in her head. _Please don't let him say what I think he's going to say_. That deep glistening plea in his orbs cut at her hopes harshly. "And that is why you are to stay here with me." he went on, confirming her worst fears. "You are not to use the Bifrost while you are in this condition."

Ice cold washed through Jane's system as Thor's smile died from his face. He was no fool; he knew he'd done nothing short of devastate his beloved. He watched the dread harden in Jane's eyes, the serene, blissful control she'd woken up with slipping away in a heartbeat.

"No." her lips babbled numbly as she kicked into action. She tore the sheets back, tearing herself free of Thor's touch and attacking the clothes in the draws, tugging them mercilessly over her head and legs. "No, you can't do that. I'm not staying here."

Thor tipped his head back and groaned. He'd known she wouldn't take it well. But when she ran out the bedroom door, his heart fluttered in panic.

"Jane!"

His voice roared after her urgently although he knew she could not possibly escape him: he captured her within mere paces down the corridor. He caught her wrists and gently pulled her back from advancing further, trying to ignore the blazing look in Jane's eye.

"Jane, please calm down. Think of the child-"

A harsh shove cut him off and Jane broke free from his grip. She barely moved a step before Thor had her again. He was not going to let her go. Not like this. She had to understand. She struggled against him frantically, clawing and kicking until Thor finally pinned her against the wall, flattening her still with his body. He tried to be gentle as he rendered her hands useless, holding her wrists to the wall at her sides. It near broke Thor's heart to see her so distressed.

She still didn't give up though.

Her teeth gritted as she fought. "You can't keep me here."

"Jane - think." he urged in a patient tone, his mouth millimetres from hers. She didn't let his breath seduce her the way she normally did though; her anger shielded her from his spell. "The Bifrost was not made for mortal travel as it is. For you to travel in a weakened state may put both you and the baby at unknown risk - even," he chipped in quickly as Jane opened her mouth. "If the baby is only a ball of cells."

"I'm not gonna let you." she forced out, glaring at him with burning eyes. "I'm not Asgardian. You can't tell me what to do."

"This is not a question of authority. For the sake of your safety I have command enough to order you stay here. Heimdall will not open the Bifrost for you unless I am physically present to say otherwise. Jane," he released her wrist to cup her face, ignoring the tiny fist pounding hard into his shoulder. "Whether you want to or not, you _cannot_ use the Bifrost. Surely you understand the severity of the situation." He finally succeeded in locking Jane's gaze with his and he watched with tugging heart strings as tears gathered in her glistening brown orbs. Her fist thudded weakly into his chest, before her forehead followed it.

He could hear the gasps against his shirt and screwed his eyes shut, the sound of her crying almost more than he could bear. His chest was so painfully tight with guilt he could barely breath, but he knew what he was doing was right. And, most importantly, Jane knew it too. If she didn't, she'd still be fighting him. She was crying for the painful reality she had to accept.

Thor leaned forward as Jane's body went slack and pressed his lips hard to hers, tasting the saltiness of her tears on her mouth.

He moved his mouth against hers in a frantic kiss; she had to know he cared, that he wasn't just being mean. "I do not make this decision lightly." he breathed against her skin. "If there was any other way..."

But there was no other way. Thor understood perfectly; he remembered how it had felt being stranded from his home all too well, and hugged Jane tight knowing she was now experiencing his pain. She'd already been away from Earth for over a month. Now she had at least eight more to face. Even Thor couldn't compete with that! He knew the only thing he could do for her was be there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. No matter how much she loved him, he could not fill the space in her heart of her home. He could only comfort her, numbing the pain.

Finally, Jane choked back her sobs and peeled her head back from his chest. Tears still glistened, hanging from her eyelashes.

"I'm s-sorry." she shuddered, keeping her eyes low. Thor felt her hands wind his back and fist in his shirt. "I understand. I do. And I don't want to risk the baby either but..." she pressed her lips together emotionally. "I just wish ... oh, I don't know what I wish."

Her head thudded back against Thor's chest and he held her, pressing his lips into the top of her hair fondly. "I know." he sighed, feeling the same helplessness wash over him. "I will do my best to make this as easy for you as possible. And when it is over, it will all be worth it." His hand wound round to flatten on her stomach. "I promise."


	4. Educate Yourself

"This is going to take forever!" Jane groaned, putting aside yet another carved wooden baby toy, tossing it in a large pile with the others.

Thor picked it up again and held it to eye level, checking for damage. It was safe to say by the beam on his face that he was not as disgruntled by the sorting work as much as she was. "We have another eight months to do this." He grinned, setting down the toy with more care than Jane had. "The people of Asgard were most generous in their gifts."

"A little too generous." Jane muttered darkly.

She picked herself up from the ground and stretched out her back, locking her arms over her head and screwing her eyes shut.

Her arms were suddenly snapped back down to her sides, held to the side of her body with a unmistakable grip. She peeled her eyes open slowly, the glare already fixed in place as Thor's crystal blue eyes materialised in front of her. She gritted her teeth against her irritation. "We've gone through this one." she forced out as levelly as she could, shaking free of his hold. "Lifting my hands will not wrap the cord around the baby's neck, especially since the baby's not even developed enough to have a goddamn neck."

At first the myths had been interesting. Funny even sometimes, seeing how truly Thor believed in them. But then her mood swings had kicked in, along with what felt like an almost constant state of exhaustion, and she'd just been irritated.

For the last three hours they'd been sorting through the masses of baby gifts the people of Asgard had sent to the palace for the expecting couple. Thor seemed to love it, smiling as he traced his finger over every carved flower in the 'girl' cot or every time he picked up a tiny pair of socks. Jane, however, was not in the mood. Pregnancy was starting to get a grip on her.

She glared at her Asgardian boyfriend until the sight of his face just made her want to hit him and she moved on to shuffle through some more baby stuff, before the thought became a reality.

The haul was colossal. There was a whole room - and a big room at that! - dedicated to housing all the baby gifts and it was already filled to the brim. And that was excluding all the sent in flowers, food and presents for mum-and-dad-to-be. This baby would be the most well equipped child in existence, Jane thought, and it's parents didn't even need to so much as think 'supermarket'!

Already they had more than enough stuff for probably all their future children put together! Endless blankets, toys, lotions, clothes, charms, rattles, rocking horses, rocking chairs - even cots! And they didn't just get these items once over. A small mountain of blankets. Enough bottles of lotion to make a river. Charms enough to purify Hell itself. Enough rocking horses to mount a small baby army. Cot's alone, they had enough to have three girls and five boys all at once as it was!

That had been another issue: straight in, the task of sorting between girl and boy and neutral stuff had been daunting for Jane. Her moods had delayed them by twenty minutes.

"We don't even _know_ what it's going to be yet!" she exclaimed suddenly, spinning around to face Thor after the sight of a pink doll set her off again. "What do we do - guess whether our child's going to be a boy or a girl and just hope for the best?"

"No," Thor said calmly, running his hand along the top of the 'girl' cot as he followed Jane around the room, made much easier now that she had stilled at last. "We keep both for when we _do_ have a child of the other gender. There is no need to waste something so fine, especially when it was given in such good faith."

Jane's mouth shot open to hurl back a sharp reply but the words died in her throat. Her heart fluttered: _when, _he'd said. Not if - _when_.

Her mind truly went blank as Thor saddled up to her, his arrogant grin gracing his perfect features. His hands cupped her still gormless face, angling her up to him as he moved in tantalizingly close. It was impossible to look away from those mind blowing eyes of his. They were - literally! - the eyes of a god. Jane could feel his breath ghost over her lips and her eyelids batted in bliss.

"You do want to have more children with me, right Jane?" Thor purred in her ear in that low tone that made her knees go weak. "Because I plan to be_ very _busy in the next few years to put all these generous gifts to good use."

When he pulled back from her ear, he grinned at the way Jane leaned forward, following him. Her eyes snapped open when she realised what she was doing and straightened herself up instantly. It was too late though; the damage was done and her pride was dented, the proof in her deepening blush and Thor's cocky smirk.

She decided to bite back in her own way: "Of course, we wouldn't even have this problem if we were on Earth." She pouted with a sassy tilt of her head.

The superiority was wiped clean of her boyfriend's face as he tipped his head back. "Jane." he groaned, as she strode past him to re-examine the 'boy' cot. "We've been through this."

_I know we have_, she replied sarkily in her head. "It's true though!" she protested, holding up her palms peacefully as Thor's exhausted looking form turned round to her. He'd had enough of this argument, his weary face told her. It was almost a daily occurrence now, along with the throwing up and sudden napping. As soon as her body was done having a stab, it was her mind's turn. She knew the Bifrost was potentially dangerous and wouldn't ever dream of using it; she cared about having Thor's baby_ way _too much to put it all at risk so carelessly. Still, she was determined to get any leverage in any way she could. "One quick little scan and we'd know if we were having a boy or a girl easily!"

She offered no resistance as Thor strode forward and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. "That would spoil the surprise." he murmured into her skin with a lingering kiss.

"It's hard to plan around a 'surprise' though." Jane muttered bitterly to herself, resting a hand at the base of Thor's neck.

These mood swings were killing her, she thought, sighing her eyes shut. She leaned her head against Thor's and for once, wished he could read her thoughts. She didn't mean to be so mean, and she knew that deep down Thor knew that. It didn't stop her feeling bad about it though.

"I'm sorry." she finally breathed, easing him back. "I don't mean to be so..." she let out a groan of frustration as words failed her. "I mean, you're being perfect and I'm just...urgh!"

She buried her head in her hands as her ridiculously fast temper sprang up again. She would be more than happy when this part of her pregnancy was over; even she was scared of herself! Let alone Thor!

When the god pulled back slightly though, she half thought he hadn't heard her - he was still wearing his adorable lopsided grin as he moved his thumb to stroke her cheek. "It does not matter." he smiled, pressing a kiss to Jane's glum forehead. "This must be very stressful for you. A little frustration is nothing to apologise for."

Jane arched an eyebrow. "A little?"

"All right, more than a little." he conceded with a smirk, looping an arm around her shoulders and steering her towards the door. "But perhaps you'll be happier knowing that Darcy brought back the items you requested."

An all too real grin blossomed over Jane's face as she took in the piles of stuff that sat by the doorway, stuff she'd just assumed was more baby gifts when they'd first came in. She dipped free of Thor's arm and rummaged instantly. Thor watched on with an adoring smile, slumping himself down lazily on the floor beside the baby blanket pile, watching Jane furrow through the shopping happily.

It had taken no less than two full weeks to convince Darcy to abandon her Asgardian paradise for the dust of New Mexico for a day, but Jane had eventually got her way. With the promise that Darcy could use her credit card. _And she had_, Jane noted as she picked up a small piece of paper propped up over one of the shopping bags: _Thanks for the new bathing suits. And the sunglasses. The perfume matches them perfectly._ Jane didn't even dare imagine how much damage Darcy had done to her credit card but with the amount S.H.I.E.L.D paid her - even though she spent her life in an unreachable world doing zilch work for the organisation other than breed the next generation of Earth protecting superheroes - it was hardly going to be long lasting. Still, bathing suits, sunglasses and perfume hadn't been what Jane had in mind when she'd said 'a little something' to reward her friend for her trouble. Darcy was hitting back for her lost sunshine time with a vengeance.

Jane flipped the note over and scanned over the back, her heart sinking miserably: _Erik's out of town. Left a message on his machine for when he got back. Sorry._ She scrunched the paper in her hand with a groan.

All that and still Erik didn't know. That had been the main objective of her Earth trip; so she could tell Erik..._and_ possible convince him to come to Asgard to stay for a while. It was like having her father not know she was pregnant. It just felt wrong.

But Jane was stuck in an alien world and would have to butter Darcy up again before she could get another shot at catching him.

...and now he would find out through a voicemail message. _Great_, she thought glumly to herself, tossing the note over her shoulder with a sigh. _Thanks a lot Darce._

The dig only went up after that. New clothes, new bras - which she'd be needing sooner than she'd anticipated, she thought with raised eyebrows, thinking of her swelling chest - maternity shirts, wool and knitting needles. Pregnant women knitted, right? And besides, it wasn't like Thor would let her do anything else! Even walking to the baby room he'd scooped her up, ignoring her 'I'm pregnant, not crippled!' pleas.

A grin settled firmly on Jane's face as she found what she'd been looking for the most.

"Thor," she straightened up with a flounce, turning to face her sprawled out boyfriend with an innocent smile plastered on her face. She walked forward slowly, her hands behind her back. "Did I tell you I'd make it up to you about the mood swings?"

That perked Thor up. He jerked upright from his lazed position over the blankets in an instant, eyes gleaming. His Adam's apple bobbed. "No." his lips flickered eagerly as Jane settled close, dropping gracefully down to her knees so they were eye level. His hands found her waist instantly.

"Well, I will." she purred sweetly, batting her eyelashes. "But in the meantime, I have a present for you."

She bounced her hands from her back to her front, baring their contents to her boyfriend at last. Thor's brow furrowed, his jaw dropping questioningly. "Jane..." he took the book from her hands as if he was scared of it.

_That was half the desired effect_, Jane thought smugly to herself, eyes gleaming proudly down at her purchase: _Pregnancy: The Dad-To-Be's Guide._

Jane's grin stayed locked on her face. "Educate yourself." she instructed, pecking a kiss on the tip of his nose. "Hopefully, it'll drive those superstitions from your head. If it's not in the book, it doesn't exist, okay?" she spelled out clearly. "This book is your Bible for the next eight months."

She flounced back to her shopping before Thor could ask what a Bible was, leaving him helplessly clutching at her gift. His half pleading eyes followed her back, glistening with helplessness.

_Oh yes_, she thought proudly to herself as she strode away to her stash with a smirk. _I managed to scare the mighty God of Thunder._


	5. Erik In Asgard

"What are you doing here?" Jane hissed at Darcy, the pair hovering just inside the entrance of the palace, half hiding from view of those on the bridge. Actually, there was no half about it; they_ were _hiding. Well, Jane was anyway.

Darcy shrugged nonchalantly. It was weird seeing Darcy in normal clothes for once, Jane thought. They'd all gotten so used to seeing her in a bikini or bathing suits that the jeans and shirt just looked... weird. She still had her shades poised on the top of her head as if she was on vacation though. And the sun-time seemed to be paying off - the healthy glow in her skin was more than obvious.

Her eyes rounded with that mock innocence that told Jane her friend was up to no good. "I can always go and get Thor if you don't want me here." Her eyelashes batted.

"No!" Jane grabbed onto her friends arm before she could disappear, glancing over her shoulder to make sure they were still out of view from the bridge. She locked onto Darcy with a fierce stare. "Thor is not to be around Erik until I've told him about the..." she glanced over her shoulder again consciously, before twirling a finger in circles over her stomach. "The thing." she finally mouthed.

"The thing?" Darcy arched a sassy eyebrow, stepping out of Jane's grip. "You mean you and Thor's baby? And Erik does know, remember - voicemail."

Jane's face dropped into her palm with a groan. "I'd forgotten about that."

_Damn_, she cursed in her head. She'd totally forgotten that Darcy had left Erik a voice mail about her pregnancy on her last and only visit back to Earth. A _voicemail_.

And now Erik would be walking through the palace door any minute and she'd have to answer for it. She felt like a teenager again, facing her dad after coming home drunk, or failing a test, or bringing home a boy that he didn't approve of. Only this was worse. Much, much worse.

"You're taking the wrap for this." Jane said bluntly, once again latching onto Darcy's arm to make sure she didn't escape.

"Me? What did I do?"

Jane gritted her teeth. "You left the goddamn _voicemail_!"

"What did you expect me to do?" the younger woman half shrieked. "He wasn't there! At least he found out before your freakin' waters broke!"

Jane's irritation was wiped away in an instant as Darcy's words brought other memories to her mind. She groaned and dropped her forehead to her palm again. "Oh God. Don't talk about labour. I've had enough of that from Thor already."

Darcy shot her friend a disturbed look, freezing in her struggle to free her arm. "... you two _discuss_ this sort of thing?"

"No." Jane wiped the hair from her from her face, lifting her hardened gaze to the door again. Any minute now, surely. "Another one of his superstitions. He keeps promising he'll stay calm so there aren't any lightning storms. _Apparently, _they induce labour." Jane sighed, remembering Thor's reaffirmed promise of just that morning. She couldn't believe he was genuinely worried about labour when she hadn't even finished her first trimester yet! "The book's not working as well as hoped."

"He's not reading it?"

"Quite the opposite."

He was obsessed! Every morning Jane woke up to him his reading his pregnancy guide beside her, and every night he read at least a whole chapter before he curled an arm around Jane's waist and surrendered to sleep. But for all the information he seemed to be drinking in, his medieval superstitions seemed immovable.

That wasn't the only thing about the book that was driving Jane crazy through. It had turned Thor into her diet planner/ personal trainer/ birth planner - her general lifestyle coach, following the letter of the book. Every aspect of her day had to correspond with Thor's rules and regulations. And Jane knew that even though he didn't trail her side every waking minute, if she broke one of his laws, he'd damn well find out about it.

Some parts of it were nice - like the daily walk through the beautiful Asgardian landscape he insisted on. Jane could happily go along with that! He told her it was so that the baby was surrounded by peace and beauty right from the start and that the light exercise was good for her.

Jane didn't really care; she just loved strolling through the countryside, hand in hand with Thor as if they were just any other happy couple.

Other bits however, were not so pleasant.

Like how when Jane's morning sickness had stopped Thor had given her an infuriatingly long lecture as to how that was exactly what he'd expected. He'd looked so proud of himself though, Jane hadn't had the heart to tell him to shut up. But it was annoying nevertheless. More than annoying. Especially when he did the whole 'I was expecting this' to everything; her mood swings, her tiredness, her swelling breasts, her more regular use of the bathroom, the now slight bulge of her stomach... her patience was being torn to shreds.

She didn't need him to tell her what was happening to her body - she was the one experiencing it! She was starting to regret getting him that book more than anything.

Darcy's nose crinkled. "Ew."

"Yeah." Jane droned, her mind wavering. "Ew."

A shadow peeked through the doorway from the bridge and Jane snapped to attention in an instant, all insane thoughts of Darcy or labour or Thor wiped clean from her mind. She was torn between anxiety and excitement, her heart thumping eagerly and gulping down the dryness of her throat at the same time.

The shadow was too tall and thin to be Erik and Jane's heart leapt as Loki stepped through the palace doorway.

She threw her arms around his neck in an instant. "Loki," she smiled with a sigh, fluttering her eyes shut so she could pretend the figure stepping off the bridge was ... was just not there for a moment longer. "You are my new best friend."

Loki chuckled, as he recovered from the surprise of Jane throwing herself at him. It had taken every ounce of his will not to stagger under the force of it! His hand ghosted over the small of her back cautiously. "It is the least I could do for my future sister in law. I know this has been distressing you for some time."

Her eyes rolled over his shoulder, and she started to let up her arms from around his neck. "Tell me about it!"

"What of Thor?" he whispered quietly as she peeled away.

"Not here." Jane sighed, righting herself and tugging her shirt further down over her slightly swollen belly. She knew the bump was almost undetectable to outsiders, but to her it already felt like a miniature mountain! "And that's good enough for me."

She fixed a smile on her face, as a second shorter shadow slipped into view. Jane could sense eyes on her from the doorway.

"Jane?"

_Moment of truth_, she thought, building up the courage to turn. How could ninety degrees be such a daunting task? The urge to run was overwhelming as she forced her body to twist.

Her heart dropped to her gut as she took in Erik's dark scowl. She gulped nervously, stepping forward.

"I thought _I_ was your best friend."

Jane didn't even glance at Darcy, eyes anxiously on Erik as he glared to the side. "You've been replaced." she breathed simply.

She drew to a stop in front of the man she'd so long regarded as her father and waited for his hard eyes to roll back to her. Her teeth gnawed at her lip, nerves fluttering in her stomach. What if he hated her? _No, he wouldn't_, a hopeful voice chipped in her head. Erik wasn't like that. He may be stern but he wasn't heartless... she hoped.

She wasn't really sure of anything any more. She'd never planned on moving to Asgard and that had happened. She'd never planned on getting pregnant with the God of Thunder's child and that had happened!

Anything was possible.

It felt like a lifetime before he finally looked at her. He looked more... sad and hurt, than he did angry. Jane's heart tugged, torn between relief and guilt.

His eyes gleamed at her. "You decided it would be best to tell me through a voicemail?" his rough voice gruffed quietly, a small sad smile tugging unconvincingly at the corners of his lips.

Jane's face contorted with guilt and she threw her arms around Erik hard before she started crying. He wasn't as smooth as Loki, staggering back a few steps under the weight of her attack. _Oops_, she thought in her head. She'd gotten so used to being around the gods and the way they handled her so effortlessly, she'd almost forgotten she still had weight and mass - something she was sharply reminded of as she battered into her father figure!

"I didn't." she sniffled into his neck, clinging to him. "Darcy did. I wanted to tell you in person."

Erik's hand touched at her back tenderly. "Then why didn't you?"

"His Lordship's had me under lock and key here." Jane ran her palm under her leaking eyes before she slowly peeled herself away, gathering herself together. They were still glistening when she shrugged. "I've been stranded."

"And he couldn't come? Thor?"

Jane shook her head lightly. "I asked, but he wouldn't hear of it. He didn't think it'd be fair when I'd be stuck here." she shrugged, pressing her lips together in that 'what can you do?' sort of way. Technically, that _wasn't_ what Thor had said but the meaning was essentially the same. His words had been more along the lines of refusing to - how had he said it? - 'enjoy the wonders of Earth while they was denied to her'. "Loki was the only one willing to help."

"Hey!" an irritated Darcy Lewis cut in. "I helped! Who got the pregnancy tests in the first place, huh? And all the other stuff? Me!"

"And who left the voicemail that got us into this mess and then refused to go back because her precious sunshine was more important?" Jane sung, rolling her eyes. She didn't trust herself to actually look at her friend, unsure of the boundaries of her hormone affected patience. "You. And you got the book so I'm double annoyed with you."

"I got it at your request!"

Jane waved her hand over her shoulder dismissively. "Details. Details."

"Actually Darcy," Jane stepped aside as Erik leaned around her shoulder. She was very satisfied to see her friend's arms folded tightly across her chest, her mouth fixed in a pout. "Would you mind telling me why my credit card was billed for over three hundred dollars a few months ago?"

Darcy's eyes narrowed further and she unfolded her arms to wave a finger between Jane and Erik imperiously. "Get back to your little reunion thing! Quit ganging up on me." she stalked over to the god politely stood back in the corner, and laced her arm through his. "Come on, Loki." She purred, ignoring the flash of alarm that darted through his green eyes. "Let's go for a walk."

Jane watched the pair disappear around a corner with a grin, her smugness only growing as Darcy stuck her tongue out at her behind Loki's arm just before she led him away.

"God help him." Erik breathed.

Jane laughed and turned back to him, pulling him in for another - more gentle - hug. "Oh, "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too." He relaxed into the hug for barely a minute before he jerked back, holding Jane's shoulders at arms length. His eyes ran over her frantically, suddenly remembering what he was here for. "How are you?" He demanded. "I-I mean, how far along are you?"

She felt his eyes lower to her stomach and she tugged at her shirt again consciously. "13 weeks. Just finishing off my third month."

"And you waited this long to tell me?"

Jane flinched a little at the outburst - then she took in the playful tone and the absolute beam on Erik's face and relaxed again. A relieved smile stretched her mouth as he started to laugh and drew her in for another hug.

Jane chuckled over his shoulder. "I didn't find out until I was five weeks. We just thought I was sick."

"Erik Selvig!"

The smile died from her face in an instant. Jane's heart dropped through the palace floor as the happy voice boomed from behind them and Erik slipped her out of their hug, his gaze growing sterner and sterner as it moved over her shoulder. _Oh no_, she thought, her eyes widening in horror. She could feel her jaw steadily dropping but was powerless to stop it, her body freezing in shock. She didn't think she could have turned herself round to see even if she dared to.

Erik stepped back a notch and heavy footsteps thudded behind her. Her worst nightmare was realised as Thor's unmistakable big hand clamped down warmly on her shoulder and eased her into his side.

Her boyfriend's presence did nothing to help her. He was_ here_. _Why_ was he _here?_ He should have no business to be so far from the main part of the palace - that was the only reason Jane had decided it was safer just to talk on the doorstep rather than invite Erik further in! So why ...

Jane's eyes narrowed as the answer set in: Darcy Lewis. With her teleporting God of Mischief. Oh, she was going to _kill_ her!

"It is good to see you again, my friend." Thor beamed as the two men met in a firm clasp of forearms. "I hope you are well." His eyes flickered down to Jane - having subtly flattened his spare hand on her back and drawn her closer - and she was shocked to see an almost bashful tint to his gaze. If she hadn't been in such a state of shock she would have found his modest lopsided grin absolutely adorable! "I trust Jane had told you of our good fortune."

"Yes, she has." He said, his voice that unique combination of calm, yet deadly serious. The tint in Erik's eye was wary. "Congratulations. I'm very happy for the both of you."

"You missed the celebrations." Thor laughed, seemingly oblivious to the warning looks Jane was shooting his way. "There was a grand feast in our honour. It is my understanding that Jane left the proceedings early due to her fragile state, though I fear I was too overtaken by drink and merriment to notice. It was a most prosperous evening."

It was for times like this that Jane thought of Erik as her father - for the stern, disapproving glare he sent Thor's way! Jane squirmed uncomfortably, fighting the urge to drop her face to her palm.

Perhaps Thor _finally_ sensed it too, for the grin slipped slightly and Jane felt his throat bob with a gulp. "When..." He sounded nervous. "When will you be going back?"

"Oh, I'm staying."

Jane's head snapped back to Erik so fast she swore her neck clicked. "What?"

His strict eyes swept over Jane. "Yeah, I'm staying." he affirmed, before locking his gaze with Thor's and taking a somewhat menacing step towards the god. His voice was soft and low, but even Jane could detect the underlying threat there: "You thought you could get my girl pregnant and I'd just leave you to it? I've got to make sure you make an honest woman of her."

Jane's mouth opened ... but no sound came out. _His _girl? Since when was Jane _his_ girl? Sure, she thought of him as a father but wasn't it always Erik who denied it himself when she said it aloud? Her brow furrowed, her mouth hanging limply open.

Thor was stunned too. He froze in place, eyes locked with Erik's as silent thoughts seemed to pass between them. It told him that Erik was more than serious. Thor's gaze hardened and glistened with earnest, his arm instinctively tightening it's protective hold around Jane. He had no quarrel with Erik Selvig, but Thor was more than certain that the scientist wouldn't hesitate to change that if Thor ever wronged Jane. At least, that was what the glint in his eyes said.

Thor gulped. He knew the mortal could never hurt him physically, but the respect Thor held for the mortal meant that any ill will between them would cut deeper than any skin wound every could.

Both Thor and Jane were really too bewildered in their own ways to react much, even when Erik clapped Thor on the shoulder and keenly strode past him.

Erik was in Asgard.


	6. Small Bump

Jane woke up with Thor's head on her stomach. A gentle smile instantly graced her lips, smoothly propping up on her elbows so as not to disturb the sleeping god while she watched him.

_God, he was perfect_, she thought. His ear leaned just below her bellybutton, his large hand heating up the skin of her lower ribcage. Strands of his blond hair fell into his face, lips parted slightly as he slept soundly. Jane relocated her breathing to her stomach, watching happily the way Thor's head rose and fell beautifully with her body.

It had become a regular occurrence since Thor had read that it is possible to feel the baby move from the 14th week of pregnancy. For the last week and a half, Jane had woken to Thor's hand and head on the gentle mound of her lower abdomen, too many times to be surprised by it any more. She never actually saw him do it though - she fell asleep way before he did (Thor always busy reading his nightly chapter) and as far as she could remember, she slept on her side.

She could just imagine Thor rolling her over in her slumber and settling over her body, falling asleep to the eager anticipation of waiting to feel his first child responding to them for the first time.

The thought made her smile.

Jane could have stayed that way forever, watching her god and the bump that held their baby. She reached one hand forward and laced her fingers with Thor's.

The god clenched them firmly and peeled his eyes open, smiling at her from the side. He wound his other hand wound her waist to stoke her side tenderly. "Morning." He smiled, pressing his lips to the top of her blooming mound of stomach. "How do you feel?"

Jane stretched back over the pillows, fingers tugging at Thor's hand. He caught the hint and crawled up her body until he was level with her. Jane screwed her eyes shut as she stretched, humming before she looked back at her magnificent boyfriend through her eyelashes. She smiled at his soft, yet alert eyes, all too sensitive to his thumb stroking firm circles into her hip. Her arms draped around his neck and drew him in closer. "Mm," she murmured. "In need of a kiss."

Thor simply _had_ to oblige. He leaned in low and latched his mouth on hers, roaming his hand back to the bulge of her stomach. Jane moaned in satisfaction, arching her back into his palm.

Then something popped.

Jane froze as her stomach fluttered, a tiny but distinct pop jabbing the inside of her system. Or more specifically, her _womb_.

Thor peeled back from her mouth, his whole body going rigid as his eyes met hers.

Jane's mouth gaped, the same thoughts running through her and Thor's mind. "D-did you-"

"Yes." Thor breathed.

Her hand moved over Thor's on her stomach as he pulled further away, Jane moving so she was sat more upright against the headboard. She closed both her hands over the small mound as Thor moved his head down again. They both hovered in silence, waiting with their hearts in their mouths.

Finally, Jane felt it again. Just a little pop, like popcorn was popping in her stomach. _Only it wasn't, _she thought as the smile bloomed on her face. It was their baby moving inside her.

Her gaze rose to Thor's, his own grin just pricking the corner of his lips. It turned into a full on beam as their eyes locked.

"Thor!"

"He's moving!"

Thor moved up her body to press a hard kiss to her lips, Jane moving one hand from her stomach to lace her fingers through his hair, holding him there. They couldn't stop their grins. Jane let out a giggle and Thor's palm flattened over her stomach again, fingers stroking gentle patterns into her skin.

"Since when did you decide it was going to be a boy?" she chuckled, raking her fingers through his hair, slightly breathless with... well, just sheer emotion.

Thor crashed his mouth on hers, kissing her with as much love and passion as he could transpire into one embrace. Their tongues danced, neither overpowering the other, working as one as they shared that priceless moment together. Thor only let up when Jane's body unwillingly arched for air. He was gasping himself, beams still plastered on their faces.

"It matters not." he breathed huskily, reattaching his lips to her skin and trailing down her neck while her chest heaved. "It will be loved regardless."

"But you'd like a son?"

Thor paused in treasuring her, sensing a seriousness behind the question that Jane was trying to hide. The gleam in her eye betrayed her though.

He rolled over onto his side beside her, giving him the freedom to run his hand over their fretful child in her stomach, the expanse of her skin his to explore as he pleased. Jane watched him curiously. Thor thought carefully about his answer before lifting his crystal gaze to hers. "Yes, I would." he confessed, an excited grin creeping through. "I would like that very much."

To his relief, a smile stretched over Jane's lips. She leaned forward to peck his mouth. "I'll try my best." she chuckled. "I can't believe this is happening. He's finally moving."

"The guide said it wouldn't be possible to feel the child from the outside until around the 20th week." Thor murmured in wonder, more to himself than anyone. "I have been waiting for you to feel him, though I never anticipated... that I..."

Jane smiled as words failed the god, watching the absolute amazement blossom on his face. She knew how much this meant to him. He was probably more excited than she was at the prospect of having this baby! Ever since the day she'd told him she was expecting, he'd devoted himself to her, never once showing any emotion other than pure and utter joy when the pregnancy was concerned. Jane was lucky to have him, and she knew it.

She pecked a kiss on the tip of his nose, drawing him out from his overwhelming tide of inner awe. "Well, he _is_ half god." she smiled. "He must have his father's strength."

Jane waited for Thor's relaxed smile to grace his perfect features again before she was satisfied he would be alright. Only then she kicked her legs free of the sheets and swung them over the edge of the bed. Thor's hands fell away from her body as she rose, running her fingers through her tangled hair to try and make herself presentable as soon as possible.

She heard the bed groan lightly behind her and knew Thor must have got up too, imagining him padding across the room in his shirt and tracks.

"Jane."

Thor's low voice demanded her attention again and she spun around without hesitation. She tried not to feel an idiot - her just neatened hair flying around her, eyes searching for him urgently - as she met Thor's glistening, round orbs, the god slinking smoothly towards her.

He looked nothing short of adorable; the loving gleam in his eyes made her heart tug. He stepped up towards her and enveloped her in his strong arms, squeezing softly.

Jane grinned into his chest, winding her arms around his back to hug him in return. God, he was so warm, so gentle. She didn't want to go now. She wanted to stay here with him. She nuzzled her cheek into the warm expanse of his shirt, breathing him in for as long as she had him.

His hand wound up her back and tangled his fingers in her hair, his other hand resting at the small of her back. Finally, he peeled her back from him, though kept his arms firmly around her body.

"What was that for?" Jane grinned up at him like a teenager.

Thor smiled and leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. "The guide said you would need plenty of hugs, and it is my duty to give you what you need."

_Okay, so many the book wasn't complete pain in the neck_, Jane conceded in her head as she tugged Thor in for another quick embrace, before he stepped back to let her go. She was off like a fire cracker.

Since, she entered her fourth month, she'd - dare she say it? - _enjoyed_ her pregnancy. She wasn't sure if it was the ceasing of the sickness, or the mood swings going away, or the fact she was getting her appetite back, or that she was sleeping properly again... she had a strong suspicion though that it was just the fact she openly looked pregnant now that was making her happy. The 'ball of cells' had finally morphed into a detectable child.

And that child was alive and kicking. Really!

She leafed through her drawers and sighed at their dismal contents. "Thor?" she straightened up, putting her hands on her hips. He blinked at her from across the room, waiting to abide to her every whim. "Where are the clothes your mother gave me?"

Amongst the many gifts they'd received Frigga had given Jane a number of flowing white dresses that every woman seemed to wear here. Jane had been reluctant at first, kind of attached to her Earth clothes. But as her body swelled and grew, the thought of her jeans was simply unbearable.

Thor stayed put, a grin pricking at his lips. "You wish to wear my mother's gowns?"

"Well, I can't go out wearing this sort of thing, can I?" Her hands motioned up and down her body, lingering around the shirt bunched up above her swelled stomach. None of her shirts were designed to stretch like that. They all sat modestly to the waist band of her jeans, fitting perfectly in her normal state. In her pregnant one, not so much. And she was not going to walk out baring the lower half of her bump for all of Asgard to see. "Dress?"

Still grinning, Thor walked wordlessly to the chair in the corner of the room and picked up the material draped over the back of it. Jane decided he was moving too slow and marched across the room to grab it from him, shedding her night clothes as she went. Thor released the garment in and instant, eyes transfixed on Jane as she slipped the material over her head.

Even with her hair bedraggled and her cheeks slightly flushed, as she smoothed down the flowing white material over her hips and bump, Thor swore he fell in love with her all over again.

She was gathered up in his arms before she could even gasp. "You look beautiful." He breathed, pressing a tender kiss to her lips.

"Mm," she murmured against his lips, leaning into the kiss. "You on the other hand, mister..." She peeled back, a hand on her bloated stomach as she roamed her twinkling eyes up and down Thor. "Come on," she lightly smacked his chest, a teasing grin on her lips. "Get your armour on. Need to make sure I don't steal all your limelight."

XXX

"I fear Erik and my father will once again be lost to the library. The Allfather finds his company most fascinating."

Jane smiled, her arm around Thor's waist as they walked lazily down the halls. "They need to get some air from that place. Still," her eyes glittered up at her oh-so-perfect god of a boyfriend. "At least I get you all to myself for another day."

Thor grinned and tightened his arm around her shoulders. "Indeed." He beamed, feeling Jane lean her head against him. "But first there is something I must show you."

The whole 'Erik being in Asgard' thing hadn't been as bad as Jane had anticipated. She'd been most concerned about how he'd act towards Thor, whether he'd hold some hostility against the man who had knocked her up. Turned out, Erik didn't see enough of Thor for Jane to find out!

He and the Allfather had clicked immediately and the two had been near inseparable, Erik explaining the ways of Earth and vice versa. The two were intrigued with the other, immersed in their learning of the other's culture.

Erik had been in Asgard for just over a fortnight and Jane only had the chance to see him at evening meals. The rest of the time, Erik and the king were crawling the library, finding links between their worlds, fuelling their knowledge. Still, at least he was around if she needed him and not - literally! - worlds apart. She was glad he was busy enjoying himself rather than castrating her boyfriend.

She let Thor lead her down the corridors, winding her down the halls to whatever it was he wanted to show her. Jane didn't care what it was; she didn't think anything could make this day more perfect that it already was.

Suddenly, she recognised where they were going and frowned lightly: "Are we going to the baby room?"

They'd passed the Hall, passed the great balcony, winding through the corridors with the intricate doors that Jane recognised. They passed the room that she knew contained the mum-and-dad-to-be stuff and she knew she was right. They were heading for the baby room.

She remembered his comments of that morning, and her heart fluttered nervously. "You haven't rearranged the baby room for a boy, have you?"

Her round eyes flickered up to Thor and her stomach twisted anxiously as he kept his gaze ahead, grinning. She didn't like that grin. That grin meant he was up to something. He let out a quiet chuckle and Jane clenched her arm tighter around his waist, biting her lip with anticipation. What had he done to the baby room? They'd only been there a few days ago so it can't be anything drastic... could it? Then again, he was a prince with an army of servants at his disposal. He could do anything.

Jane's heart was in her mouth as the fateful draw came into view and she eyed it tentatively. Every step brought a new worry. Had he painted it blue? Had he ruined her oh-so-neat piles of stuff? Had he taken it out completely and reverted it to the ultimate caveman basics?

She didn't know. And he wasn't telling.

The door came closer and closer... and then they passed it.

_What? _Jane's frown was back deeper than ever as Thor lead her on, and paused at the _next_ door, one beyond the baby room.

He stepped out of her arms, and hovered his hand over the door handle. His eyes were shimmering. _Oh yes_, Jane thought, crossing her arms over her chest so was actually doing something, _definitely up to something_.

"You made a second room for the baby?" A miniature training room ready for his possible future son, perhaps? Jane's eyes sharpened with suspicion - if it concerned their baby, she wanted to know about it. At least she was only in her fourth month, she reasoned. That gave her another five to reverse whatever he had done.

Thor's crystal orbs twinkled and he twisted the door knob, cracking the door open slightly. Not enough for Jane to see anything inside, though, she noted much to her disappointment.

"Not for the child," his other hand found the small of her back and drew her back in to him, pressing his lips to her temple. "For you."

He let the door swing open and Jane's attention was immediately diverted from his beaming smile. Jane's jaw dropped.

"Wow!" she gasped, stepping forward numbly. "Thor..."

Her lips curved into a grin as she walked inside the room, Thor following closely behind her. She didn't know where to look first! Her eyes were bugging out of her head like a child's in a sweet store as she stared around her, before she finally felt Thor's hand close around hers and she was brought back to her senses.

The grin stayed firmly in place, eyes still roaming as Thor leaned in by her ear. "Do you like it?" he whispered, his own lips pricking in an excited smile.

"Oh, Thor," she squeezed his fingers with hers, but couldn't bring herself to tear her eyes away. "I _love_ it!"

The room was just a bit bigger than the baby room - which Jane had thought was ridiculously huge as it was! - and, like the baby room, was filled to the brim. But not with baby stuff. Across the room was a large flat screen television on the wall, multiple bean bags on the floor in front of it, along with an Xbox, PS3 and a tall entertainment cabinet filled with more games and DVDs than Jane could ever hope to count. On the far right, there was a large blanket laid out on the floor, a huge telescope poking through the ceiling to the sky. A desk was pressed up against the wall. On the left were a massive set of speakers and multiple racks of CDs. And last of all, a mini-fridge. Only a not so mini one.

Jane cupped her hands over her grin, hardly able to contain herself. She was _so_ making use of that telescope come nightfall!

"B-but why?" she choked, her voice clogging with joy.

Thor beamed and linked his hand back around her waist tugging her closer. She wrapped an arm around him in response in an instant. "I thought you might be homesick. I enlisted Erik and Darcy's aid to compose all the necessary items of Earth."

"Oh, Thor." Jane hugged him tight. "You really didn't need to do that."

"I have been planning this for some time. Since you were distraught about staying." he grinned down at her sheepishly. "I wanted to make you happy."

Jane pressed her lips together to stop her from saying 'Oh, Thor' again. But honestly, she didn't know what else to say. Her heart simply tugged with emotion, knowing that Thor had done all this just because he thought she was a little homesick. She wasn't really but still...

"How did you power all this?" she wondered aloud, staring around in wonder. "I mean, Asgard doesn't exactly have its own electricity grid."

Thor chuckled. "Erik told me they were fuelled by some sort of power pack, though I confess, I do not fully understand it." His brow furrowed for a moment, his eyes rolling skywards as he searched his mind. "I believed he referred to it as a form of battery. Though I do not understand why assault would be relevant to-"

He was silenced as Jane's mouth crashed on his, her arms flying around his neck. His eyes shot wide for a moment - until he felt Jane's lips move against his, her impregnated body leaning up against him, and he melted into the embrace. His hands wound around her waist and into her hair, holding her to him as her reach on his neck angled her body up to him. He sighed in content as Jane opened her mouth to him, the heat of her tongue against his simply mind-blowing.

He would travel all of the nine realms and back for this woman. He would give her every star, plucking each of them from the sky if she so much as asked for it. He would burn out the sun itself if it was what she desired.

Only she didn't.

All she ever seemed to want from him is for him to just exist. Thor didn't feel that was enough to earn the joy of waking up beside her every morning. But she never asked for more.

And yet she was giving him so much: she'd given him her heart and body, left her home world for him, plunging herself in a world of unknown for the sake of his happiness. And now she was giving him a child. How could he possibly make up for that? No room alone or mere support could ever thank her enough.

So instead he had another plan tucked away. There was one thing he could give her that no other man could: a kingdom.

One day, after their child was born, he was going to ask Jane Foster to be his wife.


	7. Blood

"Ow." Jane twinged, rubbing a hand over her rounded stomach. "Nope," she sighed, rolling her eyes to Thor beside her. "He doesn't like that one."

Thor pressed his lips together in a brief burst of frustration, scanning his eyes over the ceiling as if searching for some sort of inspiration. They lay side by side on the bed, Jane propped up slightly on the headboard while Thor lay flat on his back, an arm behind his head. His spare hand was interlocked with Jane's, resting lightly on his chest as the pad of this thumb stroked her soft skin.

Jane's fingers drummed over her quickly blossoming bump as the inner nudges receded, shifting slightly to get a more comfortable position amongst the pillows.

Thor ran a hand over his chin, before he relinked it with Jane's. "Hogun?"

Jane paused in her tapping, rolling her eyes closed. "Thor, we are not naming the baby after your ninja friend."

"He is a brave warrior-"

"Thor!"

He sighed in defeat, rolling his eyes as soon as Jane's fingers finished smoothing out her short white night dress over her stomach and resumed their rhythm.

They had been at this for hours; Thor throwing out all the names he could think of while Jane methodically threw them back. He'd only brought up the subject fleetingly, simply curious to know her opinion ... only Jane hadn't been as quick to dismiss it. He half wished he'd kept his mouth shut and had left it till morning, but then there was the other part of him that was determined not to be beaten down now that the conversation was unavoidably ignited. He was waiting for her to compromise. It wasn't looking good.

"Would _you_ like to propose a name for the child?" he offered, pushing himself up onto his elbows, looking at her over his shoulder.

Jane's palm flattened over the bump, arching an eyebrow down at him. "And... how many Norse names do I know?" she asked rhetorically. "I don't know what sort of names are suitable in Asgard. I always imagined calling my kids normal names, like ..." her eyes rolled skywards. "I don't know. Marcus. Tom. Anthony. That sort of thing. _Earth_ names."

"They would not be appropriate -"

"I know!" she cut in quick, throwing her palms up defensively, before crossing her arms stiffly across her chest. "That's why I'm asking you." she muttered.

Thor sighed heavily. Arm crossing and gazing across the room with pursed lips was not something he liked to see his Jane doing. Mostly because it ended up with him sleeping on the floor when she did it! He remembered that lesson well from during Jane's mood swing period...

Desperately hoping to avoid reverting back in time, Thor eased himself up the bed, fighting the urge to throw himself down hard onto the mattress and groan into the pillows. His palm gently cupped Jane's cheek and guided her back to him. Her gaze was guarded with annoyance. Not a good sign. His thumb stroked gentle circles into her cheek, breathing an inward sigh of relief when she finally fluttered her eyes shut and leaned into his touch.

She was tired too.

"Jane," he breathed, closing the gap between them and pressing his mouth against her forehead. Her body slumped against his instinctively. "You're tired, my love." he murmured against her skin. "We will have plenty of time to resolve the matter in the morning."

He didn't even want to imagine what hour it was, but he longed to go to sleep - for Jane's sake if not for his. She must be exhausted.

Thor found his will slipping; his eyes drifted shut along with Jane's as he leaned his lips more firmly against her. God, he was tired. He wanted nothing more than to just sink into Jane's arms and let his dreams claim him. Claim them both.

It felt like a lifetime before Jane finally surendered to her swimming mind and her body simply melted into his. Her fingers hooked on his wrist and a shuddering breath left her, tilting her chin up to brush her lips against his in a feather-light touch. Thor sighed in content, hoping he'd won at last. He wound his hand over hers on her stomach, as their mouths met again in a lingering embrace, lips lazily moving in a tender kiss.

Jane broke it with a moan: "Ow." she frowned deeply, peeling away as her hand tightened on her stomach.

She wasn't the only one.

Thor's brow furrowed as he felt Jane's womb tense and ripple slightly under his touch; that was different. It wasn't the light, sensitive, almost undetectable nudges they were used to. This was ... harsher. Stronger. And it caused Jane pain - the baby's movements never did that!

Jane rolled onto her back, staring down at the small mound beneath her night dress. Thor let his hands fall away, though every fibre of his being surged with alertness, ready to react at the slightest word of his beloved.

They weren't tired anymore.

Another tight convulsion, and Jane jerked sharply upright against the headboard. "What is that?!" she exclaimed, clamping her hands over her stomach.

"Is it the baby?" Thor braced himself anxiously on his knees, gaze flickering frantically between Jane's face and her stomach.

Her teeth gritted through another twang. "No," she forced out as levelly as she could, trying to breathe through the sharp sensations. "I don't know what it is. It doesn't feel deep enough to be the baby though."

Thor's eyes glistened with helpless concern. "Braxton-Hicks contractions?"

"What the hell is that?!"

"Irregular, painless contractions of the womb." he quoted effortlessly, visualising the page in question in his head. He'd only read it the morning before last; it was fresh in his mind.

His eyes scoured over Jane: both her hands pressed over her stomach, fingers clenching slightly as the focussed convulsions took hold, getting stronger and more frequent each time. A thin sheet of sweat was starting to plaster over her skin. Her teeth were gritted against the waves of twitches, her breathing steadily getting sharper in the short spaces of respite her body allowed her before more tensions set in, though Thor had suspected that was more due to rising panic than anything else.

_Not Braxton-Hicks_, he answered for himself, heart aching painfully in his chest, not knowing what to do. _She's in pain._

Jane's head tipped back against the headboard, her shimmering gaze meeting his as they both shared the same thoughts. "It's not that." She groaned tensely, screwing her eyes shut. One hand peeled away from her bump to reach for his fingers. "It's getting worse."

Thor didn't hesitate putting his hand in hers, not even caring when Jane squeezed his fingers so hard his jaw dropped open in a silent gasp. "Should I fetch a healer?" he finally rasped.

Her eyes shot open as the sharpest tension cut through her, her body freezing still as a rock. Every inch of her instincts was telling her this was bad, but the thought of Thor gone from her side for a second - even if it was to get a healer - forcing her to endure this alone... it was simply unbearable. She clung him to her side with everything she had. Cold dread wound slickly through her system as she fought against her natural urges. They were telling her things she didn't want to hear; more specifically, they were telling her that whatever she was experiencing, there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

Her body felt like it was being torn in half! A strangled whimper left her lips and she bolted for the bathroom.

Thor watched her go with round, gleaming eyes, fear spiking every inch of his senses. Jane crossed the room and slammed herself inside the bathroom within milliseconds, the door crashing back against the frame so hard the latch caught too weakly to hold and it ghosted open again almost instantly.

There were seconds of blissful silence and Thor tried to force himself to breathe. It wasn't very successful. He couldn't peel his eyes away from the slightly ajar bathroom, wishing the hinges were on the other side of the frame so he could at least peek inside.

He didn't dare move. Not until Jane told him what she wanted him to do.

His heart thudded nervously in his chest as the quiet stretched endlessly on and he started to get anxious. He wanted to call out to her, to ask her if she was okay, but his voice died in his throat. Suddenly he hated he silence as an ice cold dread settled over him. It hung ominously, clenching at his heart, twisting at his gut - something felt horribly wrong.

Then Jane let out an ear splitting scream and Thor scrabbled for the bathroom, wrenching the door open in a heartbeat.

He dropped to his knees in horror.

Blood clouded his vision, swimming his mind so violently he was afraid he would pass out. Then Jane clawed up against him hysterically, still screaming, her arms scrambling around his neck and shoulders as if she couldn't get a good grip on his shirt. Thor wasn't surprised; she was... manic. She clung him to consciousness, anchoring him to their living Hell to endure beside her. Her screams echoed in his ears long after they had subsided to uncontrollable sobs.

He could feel her tears dampen his neck and shirt as she straddled him, clinging to him for all she was worth as his arms finally closed tightly around her body.

An unexpected dampness on his thigh drew his attention sharply downward - the shirt of Jane's night dress was stained a vibrant, crimson red. Deadly droplets still rolled down her creamy, trembling legs.

The breath hitched in his throat as his gaze followed the trail of red from Jane's body to the mass by the bathtub.

His grip on Jane tightened at what he saw. "Jane."

She sobbed noisily into his shirt, her hand clenching so hard at his neck Thor was sure it would leave marks. He didn't care. His eyes were rivetted across the room as Jane lost all sense of control, strangled cries leaving her lips, wracking harshly through her body against his.

Thor wished he could join her. Anything had to be better than this wide eyed terror, unable to tear his gaze away from the bloodied lump at the bathtub.

A tiny, baby shaped lump.

"I'm sorry!" Jane cried against him, her body starting to tremble. Thor didn't blame her. "I'm so sorry, Thor. I didn't mean to - I swear, I didn't mean to!"

Thor couldn't even think of words to say, simply hugging Jane to him so hard he was sure he was hurting her somehow. She didn't seem to care, too absorbed in her grieving hysterics. His eyes were transfixed on the human shape across the room.

It was tiny; so tiny it could fit in the palm of Thor's palm three times over and still be comfortable. Blood clung to it's pale skin, breaking the otherwise peaceful image into one of nightmares. A whimper tore itself painfully from the gods throat, eyes drinking in the fragile form of his child. It looked every bit a baby: eyes closed, tiny hands - one resting by it's chest, the other with the thumb embedded in it's little mouth - legs curled together, stretched out slightly on the bathroom floor. It could just be sleeping... but then the blood reminded Thor sharply of it's untimely demies.

Thor breathed out, ripping an anguished cry from his lungs. He could feel himself breaking. His heart clenched and raced in a way he wasn't sure he could bear, more and more pained moans and bawls rolling deep from his chest. It dug right to the very core of his being.

He'd never felt pain like this.

He started to doubt if he could take this, eyes stinging from his inability to blink. He wanted to scream, to howl, to run, to fight, to hit something - absolutely anything to get the image of the dead baby out of his mind! Then his thoughts flickered to Jane and he knew he couldn't leave her. If he was tearing apart, he didn't want to imagine how broken _she_ must be feeling inside.

She clung to him, and him to her. It was the only thing that stopped each of them going completely insane. Thor's breath grew sharp and eratic. Jane wept his name over and over again into his shirt.

XXX

An hour later, they both lay on the bed. They stared up at the ceiling with vacant eyes, the early hysteria wiped away and repaced with such a heavy dullness they felt as dead as the creature in the bathroom. Their chests barely moved, breaths so shallow and slow it made their lungs scream. They didn't have the will to change that yet.

"You were wrong." Jane's voice finally croaked, her fingers interocked with Thor's between them in the blood stained sheets. "It's a girl."

Thor's brain was scattered. He could only think of their daughter still on the bathroom floor. He wasn't sure when they'd finally gathered themselves enough to move, but they'd somehow managed to fold a blanket over her body, leaving her head above the covers, thumb still in her mouth. When had they cleaned the blood away? He didn't remember. All he knew was that their daughter lay there, looking as calm and peaceful as if she were merely sleeping. It made it slightly easier to bear.

"What do we do now?" Jane asked numbly, brow furrowing slightly. "I... I don't know what to do."

She couldn't think. She didn't want to think. Her spare arm hugged a pillow over her recently hollowed stomach, trying to put off the realisation that she wasn't pregnant anymore for just a little longer.

She'd take it all back. She'd take the morning sickness, the moodswings, the aches, the sleeplessness, the anxieties, the frustration - she'd go through it all a hundred fold if it meant she could have her baby back inside her, alive and growing again. It didn't seem real. She'd miscarried. She'd lost their baby.

"I knew someone." she remembered, closing her eyes against the '_who lost their baby too' _that should have fitted on the end of that sentence. "They gave it a name and held it. They took pictures. They treated it like a proper baby, like it was still alive. At the time I didn't understand how they could but..." her lip quivered threateningly, and she sighed a slow, shuddering breath. "They buried it." her voice squeaked on. "I went to the funeral."

Thor's heart clenched in his chest. "Is that what you would like to do?"

Jane gulped down the wave of emotion, tears pricking at her eyes. "I don't know what else to do." The thought of just throwing away their daughter... she couldn't even make sense of it. She couldn't do that. Not her baby.

A broken breath left Thor's lips as his chest tightened painfully. He peeled his fingers from Jane's as he felt himself losing control again and stretched his arm around her shoulders, hugging her tightly to him. She rolled her body helpfully, moving with the pillow until she lay half on top of Thor's chest. Her arm reached across his body, losing her fingers in his golden hair.

"We shall do this your way." he finally rasped from his raw throat when he felt he could keep his voice reasonably level. "I have insisted on Asgardian customs thus far. It is only fair. It may make it easier for you."

That wasn't his only reason.

He'd been to plenty of Asgardian funerals. He did not want that for his daughter. He did not want to set her body alight for all of Asgard to see the flames roll to the sky.

If he could keep the skies clear enough, that was. He could already feel the world outside the palace walls torn with rain and low, greiving thunder; he couldn't imagine ever finding the will to be able to repress it.

Jane clung to him tighter, and he heard a quiet, gasping sob leave her lips against his shoulder. He tightened his arm around her, dipping his face down to press his mouth against the top of her head. His lips lingered in her hair as something inside him broke and he screwed his eyes shut, unable to stop a single pearly tear from rolling down his rough cheek.


	8. Goodnight

Jane hadn't been able to say it. She'd tried, but had barely gotten three words out before she'd dissolved into uncontrollable tears, burying her face in her hands. Thor had wrapped an arm around her sobbing body, leaning her into him. He couldn't say it either; the words stuck painfully in his throat.

How could they say they'd lost their baby? How could they possibly break it to their friends and family that their daughter was dead, when they had hardly absorbed it themselves?

In the end, Jane had to write it down, her hand shaking and the breath catching dangerously in her throat every time she reached an incriminating word.

The note swept around the room in silence, leaving a wave of pale faces in it's wake. Jane coudn't take it, rolling her forehead against Thor's chest. He could feel her trembling beneath his touch and tightened his arm around her waist, conscious that that was probably all that was holding her upright at that moment.

His eyes scanned around their loved ones as he cradled Jane in his arms. Frigga had a hand pressed over her heart, eyes glistening with quickly building tears. Odin's face looked grey and stony as he wrapped a comforting arm around his wife. He knew how much this baby had meant to them, heart tugging to see his parents so undone. Darcy and Erik both looked white, throats bobbing as if they were choking on something. In the end Thor couldn't even bring himself to look at his friends. The pain was already spearing deep into his heart.

The news spread through Asgard like a plague, new gifts of consolation practially sweeping through the palace doors. Thor had them steered to the far end of the palace, clear of any path through the corridors Jane might walk through.

Thor knew nothing of Earth funerals, but Erik showed him a picture of a black sombre coffin in a book and he knew that was the first step.

He had one made within the day.

He didn't have it identical to the image he'd been shown though. He had it white, not black, and in a solid rectangle shape, slightly deeper than the coffin had been in the book. It was still small to accomodate the baby's tiny size, but Thor made sure there was ample room at the top and bottom. He had flowers carved into the sides, replicating the intricate images on the 'girl' cots.

That was what he was aiming for. So it looked more like a cot than a coffin. So she was still only sleeping.

Thor kept himself busy to avoid thinking about it.

Removing the child had been a long process though. At first, Jane had been distraught at the idea of others picking up the child from the bathroom, but it had been hours before she'd actually built up the courage to do it herself. And then, once she had the little girl cradled in her arms in the blanket, she hadn't been able to let go.

Thor had sat with her while she'd cried, rocking with their daughter as her heart broke all over again. It felt like a lifetime they'd sat there, but Thor didn't care, arms around his overwrought woman. His hand cupped around Jane's, the baby nestled in the crook of her elbow. Then his thumb reached up and gently stroked over the infant's cheek and Thor's heart had simply bled with anguish.

That tiniest amount of contact had the truth crashing down around him more solidly than ever before. His daughter, his little girl...lost. His will broke with Jane's as they wept, the wonder they'd fawned over for the last three months lying dead in their arms.

XXX

Jane retraced the steps of their strolls, Thor by her side.

She'd picked out a spot on one of the hills, within the private, protected sanctuary of the palace grounds. It was nice; peaceful, secluded yet open, the hilltop the first thing to grace the rising sun when the mornings unfolded. It used to be one of her favourite places when Thor would take her out on their walks, always feeling happiest with their blossoming family when she was there. Thor thought it was perfect.

They walked with slow steps, the baby still cradled in Jane's arms. They'd considered putting her in the cot - _not a coffin_, Thor had told himself, as if it was the only think keeping him together, _a cot _- first, and have her carried up the hill in a sombre procession.

But in the end, Jane had refused. She didn't want anybody there other than her and Thor. He agreed with her whole heartedly.

He'd let Jane name the child. He'd been so wracked up with guilt as to how he'd selfishly pushed for an Asgardian name, he simply couldn't bear it and handed the task to Jane to chose as she pleased. He kept thinking of all the things he'd robbed her the choice of over the last few months; where she lived, what she did, what names they considered - he was determined to give her all the control she wanted now.

Thunder clapped darkly in the distance as they advanced the hill, though Thor forced himself to hold back the rain. He wouldn't ruin this moment for the world.

The dread settled in Thor's system as the grave crept into view.

The branches of the tree at the top of the hill hung over the small hole protectively and Thor could see the glint of the white structure in the ground. Neat, little white flowers traced the rectangular outline of the site beautifully.

His knees felt weak as they finally stopped by it's edge, the stone lid of the cot lying to the side of the grave. The flower patterns were engraved on that too.

"Oh, Thor." Jane bit back her tears. He had no doubt she would have reached for his hand if she didn't have the baby. "It's lovely."

Thor kept silent, heart weighing impossibly heavy in his chest. He stared down at the cot in the ground, the thick white edges of the box a stark contrast to the green of the grass around it. It fit snugly into the hole, not a single unbecoming glimpse of brown mud visible. Everything was pristine, and perfect. Inside he had one of the white baby blankets spread out, pillowed slightly at the head of the cot.

Jane finally reached out for Thor's hand, balancing the baby delicately in one arm, as he helped her sink slowly to her knees.

He could hear her quickening breaths as she leaned forward and, as delicately as if the infant were made of glass, settled the child down in the cot, easing her head and body down with painfully slow care. Her trembling fingers pricked the blanket that covered her, so it rested just over her tiny shoulders snugly. Thor watched somewhat enviously as Jane's fingertips ghosted over the cold cheeks of their daughter, as if coaxing the child to sleep.

Her shaky hand reached up for Thor's over her shoulder when she finally straightened up, her work finished. He clasped her fingers tightly, but could feel she didn't want to rise just yet. He stood by her side as they stared down at their daughter.

Jane's hand rose to cover her mouth, choking back the tears. "She looks like she's sleeping." She gasped with a small, broken smile through her fingers.

Thor gripped Jane's hand tighter. "She does."

He felt numb all over again. The little girl looked wonderfully peaceful in the cot, easing his breaking heart... then Jane's quiet, ragged gasps brought him crashing back to reality and shattered it all over again. He didn't know what to do. Not just about the funeral, but about Jane. He'd never seen her cry like this. She was simply inconsolable. He didn't know how to handle it, other than to be there for her to cry on, to hold on to.

Thor was starkly reminded of a weeping angel as he blinked with glistening eyes down at his woman. The white dress she wore spurred on the illusion, the bright sunlight shining on her hair at the crown of her head, the distant, powerful thunder too far away to darken the scene. Their little girl's guardian angel, he thought. He tipped his chin up proudly, gritting his pain aside for a moment. In his sunlight shimmering armour, he would gladly be their daughter's warrior, beside Jane as her angel.

His hand twitched to curl into a tight fist at his side when the pressure of what he held stopped him in a heartbeat. His eyes flickered down to it instinctively.

The breath caught in his throat as he slowly knelt beside Jane. "Jane," For a moment he thought Jane would never tear her eyes away from the child, fully preparing to be talking more to himself than to her, but his heart tugged with relief as she rolled her glistening orbs to his. His hand crept out from behind his back. "I had this brought to Asgard with all the other Earth items. I... Darcy told me women and children liked them. I was planning to give it to you and the baby after the child was born, but..." he trailed off as words failed him, his gaze dropping from Jane's.

Jane's shimmering eyes blinked down, and her lips parted at what she saw cradled in Thor's palm.

"Thor..."

Her fingers reached out and touched the soft fur of the little white teddy bear, unable to fight the sad smile that stretched her lips. It was hardly any bigger than the baby itself, a sweet, red bow tied around it's neck.

Thor hardly remembered grabbing it as they'd left the palace, his mind too clouded with the prospect of the task ahead. Jane too, had been too engulfed in the baby in her arms to notice. It was sure a pure, gleaming white though, she half wondered how on Earth she could have missed it! She pressed her lips together as she glanced her eyes back to the infant.

Thor followed her gaze and unlinked his hand from her's to wind his fingers through her hair, gently easing her head down to his chest.

He could feel she was going to cry again, but didn't care. She could cry all she wished, Thor thought, and he'd stay by her side for every second of it. He couldn't even imagine how traumatic the whole ordeal must be for her. They'd both lost a baby, but it was Jane who's carried it in her body, felt it's movements, given it the fuel to grow, nurtured it... he could best guess it was like a piece of her soul had been ripped out of her with the child.

Her hands slowly cupped the teddy bear and eased it from his palm, taking it till she cradled it in her arms as she'd done with the baby.

Thor didn't mind whatever she wanted to do with it. Whether she wanted to keep it as a reminder, or cast it away, or... he just couldn't keep it. Not to himself. He had to at least share it with her.

His hand moved from her head down to her shoulder as she peeled her body from his and leaned forward. His chest tightened with a fresh wave of emotion as Jane gently lay the toy down beside their child and tucked the blanket over it's body, the white fur of it's cheek nuzzling their daughter's hand that held her thumb in her mouth.

"There." Jane gulped, leaning back against Thor and clutching hard at his fingers again. "At least, she's got a friend with her now."

Thor wrapped his arms around the small woman as she twisted round and buried her face in his chest, her back heaving with sudden, heavy sobs. He screwed his eyes shut against the world, holding Jane tightly to him. "What do you want me to do?" he breathed into her hair, voice cracking.

"I-" she gasped through her tears. "I d-don't want to see a-anymore." Her arm tightened around his torso. "Please."

Thor gulped with dread as he translated her words. He paused for a moment, taking a deep, measured breath before he slowly lifted him and Jane to their feet, clinging his arms around her form for as long as he could.

But he couldn't avoid it forever.

He let his protective embrace crumble around Jane as he turned and half staggered to the white tablet on the grass, as if he were walking to his death. To him, he felt like he was.

Jane stood back as Thor lifted the heavy stone tablet, with a weighted expression on his face she was sure he coudn't mean. Maybe his strength was sapped by the psychological impact of what he was doing; normally, he would lift that weight like it was nothing.

He carried it round with slow, heavy steps, kneeling with glistening eyes at the foot of his child's grave.

He'd never planned on this. Never imagined in all his long life that he'd ever had to do this. He guessed this was the reason: it was simply something too awful to dream of, the pain dug only deeper by knowing that this was the only memory he could ever have of her. Still. Lifeless. Gone before they'd even had a chance. At least other parents had happy, healthy times to look back and smile on before the tragedy cut in. They didn't. All they had was the emptiness inside. The missing pieces of their hearts that their daughter should have been able to fill.

Thor tried to get a grip on himself as he lowered the tablet to cover the tranquil form of his daughter, eyes drinking in the last images of her before she was taken from them forever.

He could hear Jane's muffled cries behind him and he wasn't sure how much more his pained heart could bear. He carefully met the tablet edges over the rim of the cot, setting it down with a harsh breath that tugged all through his system. The stone groaned from the friction as it set in place.

Forks of lightning cut through the sky as the dark clouds finally rolled over the hill, announcing the closure.

Thor felt his will snap.

He didn't stay on his knees for long, up on his feet and fleeing back to the comfort of Jane's arms within seconds. She held him back with all the desperation he felt inside.

How could life possibly go on? Thor couldn't imagine things ever being the same again. How could he go to sleep, dress, eat, live - all the while knowing his first child lay buried in the ground? Were they supposed to forget her? To pretend like Jane had never been pregnant at all? Perhaps, it would have been easier if it'd happened while she'd been - how had Jane put it? - 'a ball of cells'. Before the truth had sunk it. Before they'd gotten too attached. But it hadn't, and they'd been left with a painful reminder that they had created something precious together, but were not allowed to have it.

"My little girl." Jane moaned into his chest. "My poor little girl."

Thor didn't know how to comfort her. How could he when he couldn't even comfort himself? He couldn't tell her it would be okay, that life would go on... because he just couldn't see it happening.

He knew it must somehow. That the sun would still rise and fall in the same way. But right now, the thought of going along with it was simply insulting.

_This must be grief_, he reasoned to himself. They had the right, surely, to feel so defeated, after having their hopes raised so high only to be dashed in the cruellest fashion. They had the right to weep until their souls bled, for their world to stop turning for just a little while. Thor would make sure they did. He needed it. He needed it to hurt more and more, to weep, to dream of 'what if?'s, to hate himself, to just lose himself for a while before the reality finally sunk into his system and he'd be able to look to clear skies again at last.

And Jane... they'd get through it together. Somehow.

They stared down at the tablet, tears still rolling down their cheeks at what they'd lost, the flower patterns dancing around the carved name of their sleeping angel beneath.

Anabelle.


	9. SEQUEL'S IN!

**NOTE**

**Hey guys. **

**First chapter of the sequel is up and is titled Hush Little Baby. Go check it out. Lucky for you guys I'm really into this story so I'll try and update as soon as possible. **

**In the mean time, make sure you write a comment or vote in the poll as to what gender you want the baby to be in Hush Little Baby. Name suggestions are welcome too and I'll include them when I do a name poll towards the end of the story. Promise.**

**Okay, enjoy!**


End file.
